Method of refrigeration



C. A, KETTERR METHOD OF REFRIGERATION- Original Filed Aug. 9. 1920 lZ4 2,4 2/3 y Patented Nov. 25, 1924.

UNITED smi-Es;

A. KETTEl/ER, YOF

EAST s'r. nouis, ILLINoIs.,

ME'JHODI OF REFRIGERATION.

Original appliaton tiled Auguste, 1920 Serial No. 402,175. liJivded andl this application f i1ed,.`l'u1y.27,...

1922. Serial TQ allfwiomg't may concern:

Be it known that LCHARLES A. Knr-v TEREB, acitizen of the United lStates, and reside-ntofthe oityozt' EastSt. Louis, county of St. Clair, and State of Illinois, have invented certainnew and usefullmprove ments V-'in Metliodsl of Refrigeration, of whijcli thej following is a specification containing a full, olea r, and Yexact description, refere-neev being. had to theaccompanying drawings. forrung a parthereof. f.

My' rinvention `relates toimprovements in metlied offlrefrigerationand has forA its primary-. olojiectfA amethod `whereby the amount of moisture jwithin the storage, chamberof a refrigerator is regulated.

Afurther object is the method of iefrigeration, wherein the `refrigerator or rather the storage compartment is` maintained at a low temperature, and at the same` time, the amount` of moisture therein isso regulated that the 4articles contained in themstoragechamberwvill not` lose any appreciable amountof weight, .due to drying out, nor will them-oisture `in the cham?H herbe suiicient to cause sogginess due to a preponderantfeiof moisture in the storage, chamberf` 'i In the drawings,

Fig. n1 is. a vertical longitudinal section of a refrigerator of Vmy improved chilling means installed therein;

Fi'gf2 is an enlarged fragmentalsection, showing a portion of the icecontainer and solutio n contair'ier, showing the means of providing `for an overflow;

Fig. 3 is a similar view, sh owing one of the plugsin position;

Figg 's a pe` spective viewof one of the Plugsrlad usenf;

Figg 5 Eis a top plan lview ofhonej ofthe In the construetion,pf mydevice ein;n ploy: a re'fr'gerator-liaving 'a Achillingor* Steine@ .Chamber-': and, .ai .ref rleeletm. Chibr l The SltQrage .'chainberis divider Q 01 VSeilifted, ff'Qli the @bi1-ling. Chamb-ell? by meanspfgafsplash; apron V8,` aA retieulatedE wa'llj-` 9, A"and a baffle 10. Thisbaffleyis situ- V atdibeileath the ,tbpto the/ refrigerator :so

Within t y"e -chilling chamber 7 is located. a eontainer 12 and ice container 13;VVV

`bottonijede@ are a-neleiirons 16v uri-Q11. rbi- 21,1 vrests a reticulated bottoml?, l'Them These containers are secured to Vangl e-irons55 14.k The liquid container 12 is secured.1to,..y theY inside of the angle. irons, while theice container 13 issecured to theoutside;v`- TheW lower edge of the ice containerwl,andf'he upper edge of the liquid container 12 vte r 60 minate on theL same horizontal plane, but= are spaced apart by the angle irons 14:,-S o as to forni a passage 15. This allows for@A f an overflow..A The` purpose Qithis p'verfloav 'lid has a plurality of openingsslfwhieh proyided with ldownwardlyprojecting. y.lips-1 v20,l and above these` openings^ and secured to. the lid 18 are a plurality of dampers 23 which have formed therein graduated. r openings 24. These dampers are also `pro,-75 vided with Van upturned lportion 25, so` that,

the dampers can be moved.

Extendingthrough the liquid ,container 12 are a plurality of tubes25 and 27. The".

Vtubes `27 being preferably located. oentrally `'80 of the liquid container. .These. tubeshav e` extending therethroughV a rivet orpin 2S- upon which `rests a tube 29.. These/ tubes extend ,onlyj a short.. .d'istaneabove` th e upperedge of the liquid zcontainer, ands y.are B5 arranged concentric with the tubesQG ,and i 27, Located within the `tubes26 and,`rest 'ung on the pin 28 are `tubes 30. These .t,`u.bes

are concentriowith the tubes26 andeXtend1 upward to the lid or cover 18, andare offgg sufficientl diameter toreceive the 'lips' 20j, Located within the tube 27 is a tube-.31'.

This tube is also concentricwith the tubes '27jl and 29, but VterminatesY 'a shOitQdSt-ame, `above the tube' 29 and below, theqretiilated" 95 container7 and crushed io'efplaced'therein. Mixed, .with this se .is

`ivaves spread in all directions, similar to When a pebble is dropped into a pool oit Water, and when reaching the edges of the container 12 or of the tubes 26 and 2T, they Will flow or slop over and trickle over the surfaces. rThis trickling Will cut oil" any frost ivhich has gathered on these surfaces.

The tubes 29 and 31 are kept clear in the same manner. v

l/Vhen it is desirable to have frost gather on certain parts ot' the container 12, I make use 'of the plugs 35 'Which' close portions of the passage Way 15 between the containers 12 and 13, so that the container 12 may have frost on a portion thereof, While the other portionis kept clear oic 'frost b y the flow of non-freezing solution thereover. rIhe nonfreezing solution that does iioiv over is caught by thedrip pan and passes out through the drain pipe 341. It I desire moist air to pass into the refrigerator, I open the valve which will permit air to flow into the ice container and close oil" the valves or dampers over the pipes 80. In this way, the air after having passed over the ice in the ice container carries a certain amount of moisture with it, Which will be distributed into the storage chamber 6, While if dry air is desired, the dampers over the pipes or tubes are opened and the central dampers f which admit air directly to the ice chamber are closed.

I may also achieve a mixture of air by 'opening the dampers, both to the ice chamber and to the pipes 30, the amount oiair passing therethrough being regulated by the graduated openings in the chamber. Fig. 5.,)

Itisalso possible to supply a greater or less amount of moisture by means of the plugs 35. These plugs serving to retain rost-on aportion of the container 12. W'here no frost is retained on the container 12, a dry air results in the storage chamber (See 6 inasmuch as a-nv moisture lgiven o b the J .f d,

ood products contained therein has a tendency to condense on the chamber 12. This condensation is carried away by the overflow, While il irost is allowed to accumulate thereon, the frost Will in time get so thick as to prevent this condensation to a great extentV and cause moist air to circulate through the storage chamber. In this Way I prevent the loss of Weight due to the absorption of the moisture contained within the food product put in the storage chamber, but at the same time can regulate the moisture ered by the ice in the ice container. In thisV way a small amount ot crushed ice Will last a very long time. Its only purpose being to constantly supply the liquid container 12 with additional non-freezing solution, so

that the amount ot frost and consequently the` humidity of the storage chamber can be regulated.

I may also if found desirable, eliminate the ice chamber, and merely place a secondary liquid chamber or container above the container 12 and allow the liquid to slowly drip from one chamber or container into the other., and accomplish the same purpose. In this case, however, the refrigerating coil 32 is absolutely essential, While When using crushed ice, the refrigerating coil tends to reduce the temperature of the non-freezing solution and assists in cutting down the quantity of ice needed to keep the refrigerator at. the proper temperature.

The tubes 26, 27, 29 and 31, are kept clear of frost, and consequent clogging by permitting the non-freezing solution to overflow or drip therein. lVhile the tubes 30ers kept clear of frost due. to the fact that the air passing therethrough is at a relatively higher temperature than the balance of the air, it being drawn from the upper part of the freezer, and is consequently at a high enough temperature to melt any accumulation of frost on the inside of Vthese tubes. The frost on the outside being removed by the non-freezing solution.

This is a division of my application for Letters Patent on refrigerators, tiled August 9, 1920, under Serial No. 402,17 5.

Having fully described my invention, y

what I claim is: ,Y

V1. The herein described method of refrigeration Which consists in filling the liquid container of a refrigerator with non-freezing solution, cooling said solution by means of a refrigerant separate from said solution, and slowly adding additional non-freezing solution to the first mentioned solution,

2. The herein described method of refrigeration ivhich consists kin filling the liquid container of a refrigerator with a non-freezY ing solution, cooling said solution by means eration which consists in filling the liquid Container' of a refrigerator with non-freezing solution7 circulating a refrigerant through said solution, and continuously adding to said solution small amounts of an additional non-freezing solution, whereby said solution is caused to overow the sides of the eontainer and remove frost therefrom.

4. The herein described method o-f refrigeration which consists in filling the liquid container of a refrigerator with a non-freez ing solution7 cooling said solution by means of a refrigerant, slowly dropping into said solution additional non-freezing solution thus agitating the surface of the solution in ther container and causing it to overflow the sides thereof.

5. The herein described method of refrigeration which consists in filling the liquid container of a refrigerator with a non-freezing solution, cooling said solution by means of a refrigerant, slowly dropping into said solution additional non-freezing solution thus agitating the surface of the solution in the container and causing it to overflow the sides thereof at predetermined points.

In testimony whereof, I ha-Ve signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES A. KETTERER. 

